


Pierced Lips and Decorated Arms

by Shea



Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Alternate Universe, Family Issues, Gay, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Multi, Piercings, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-01
Updated: 2016-01-01
Packaged: 2018-05-10 21:21:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5601421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shea/pseuds/Shea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A lot can happen in a tattoo/piercing parlor. But a marriage proposal is probably a new one. </p><p>Tattoo shop AU because I am a sucker for those.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pierced Lips and Decorated Arms

**Author's Note:**

> Shameless Shartos fluff because this pairing is not popular, but I think it needs to be. 3

The buzzing of tattoo pens and hisses of pain was the most discernable noise in the room. Some idle chit-chat was made while the artists tattoo'd their clients. Sharrkan wiped at his forehead as he wiped his finished piece off with a paper towel. "There ya go~" He grinned at the redhead in his seat, who eyed the new tattoo on his arm.

"Thanks, Sharrkan."

"No problem, Spar~"

Spartos smiled lightly as he looked at his new piece of art to go with all the others. Like most of the other workers in the shop, he had quite a collection on his arms, legs, and torso. He had a number of piercings to go with them as well; namely his lip (a vertical labret), tongue, eyebrow, and supposedly his bellybutton. Sharrkan wouldn't believe it, given Spartos' modest personality, if he hadn't been the one to do it.

Sindria Tattoo and Piercing Parlor was where they all worked, they being Sharrkan and the rest of his friends; Spartos, Pisti, Masrur, Ja'far, Hinahoho, Drakon, Yamuraiha, and, the owner, Sinbad. Nine employees were a bit much for a small shop, Sharrkan thought, but they made it work. Usually they had two shifts, and four people on each. Sinbad worked whenever needed, or if there was a specific thing he wanted to work on. Sharrkan usually ended up working with Spartos, Pisti, and Yamuraiha. As such, whenever one of them needed a new tat or piercing, one of the others would do it for them, with the exception of Spartos' tongue, Sharrkan's right ear, and Yamuraiha's eyebrow; those were done by their respective owner.

Sharrkan rolled his shoulder as he put away his supplies. "Where'd you get the idea for that one anyway?" He asked as he watched Spartos.

The redhead shrugged. "I saw it in a dream, and decided I needed it."

'It' would be a complex design of a skull and raven, with the raven's wing covering half the skull's face. Smoke surrounded the image and made it look like the raven was simply made from the smoke. Spartos had been the one to draw the design, and Sharrkan only put it onto his skin.

"You did really great, Sharrkan. I love it." Spartos said with a happy smile, turning toward said artist and leaning down to kiss him gently.

It was no secret that the two men were dating, and for a solid two years now. As much as everyone else at the shop teased them about it, no one could really say they /shouldn't/ be together. They'd gone to high school together, and Sharrkan had helped him get this job. Most would feel smothered, living and working with their partner all the time. But Sharrkan honestly loved it. He knew how attractive Spartos was, with his red hair and dark eyes that contrasted beautifully with his milky skin. And the tattoos over said skin made him that much more irresistible.

Of course, Sharrkan was no slouch either. His tanned skin and green eyes tended to draw in a lot of people. And his smile, he'd heard, was enough to stop hearts. Many women fawned over his tattoo'd sleeves (also done by Spartos), and especially when he flexed. He would never deny the satisfaction it brought whenever Spartos would hastily escort those women away in a fit of (rare) jealousy.

Sharrkan's collection included sleeves on both arms, angel wings down the entire length of his back, and a sword on the fleshy part of his hip- that one had actually made him cry. As for his piercings, he had his right ear, tongue, snake bites, and his dick. Yes, he had gotten his "little man" pierced as a dare, only to find out three months later that it made sex feel /amazing/- and Spartos could vouch for that.

"Sharrrkan and Spartos, sitting in a tree~" A sing-songy voice broke them apart as Pisti skipped into the room. "Let me see the new tat~"

Spartos turned so she could see it, and she whistled. "Nice work~ I adore your fading skills, Sharrkan. They're beautiful."

Sharrkan gave a little bow with a wave of his hand. "Thank you, thank you!"

Spartos rolled his eyes and rolled his sleeve down gingerly. "But you can't do color." He said as he went back to his station, setting up what looked like a piercing appointment.

"I can too- sort of. I just need practice."

Yamuraiha took this opportune moment to throw a coloring book into his lap. "There's your practice. You can't even color in the lines."

"Wha- I can too!"

She sent him a glower and motioned to the tattoo on her ankle- a dolphin with blue coloring.. outside the line.

"...that's just because I don't like you."

"I'm stuck with this /forever/ you dick!"

"Exactly~"

"Yamuraiha," Spartos cut in. "I can fix that for you, if you'd like."

"Ooh, Spartos is great at fix ups!" Pisti exclaimed. "Look- he fixed that awful koala thing and made it this skull~" She tugged the pant of her jeans up to show the tattoo on her calf.

Sharrkan whistled. "Impressive."

Spartos flushed modestly, making both Sharrkan and Pisti grin knowingly.

"It'd be really appreciated, Spartos. Thank you."

He nodded once. "Of course."

Like Spartos and Sharrkan, the girls had their fair share of work. Yamuraiha had a half-sleeve on her right arm, the dolphin on her ankle, and a tramp stamp of her ex-boyfriend's name. Her piercings were sparse and only had her ears and nose. Pisti was the opposite, she only had three little tattoos on her leg, arm, and neck. But she had six total piercings on each ear, her belly button, and supposedly her nipples. No one had dared her to prove it.

Sharrkan leaned back in his chair as he watched Spartos' appointment, piercing some girl's nose. Spartos was always terrible at talking to women, and appointments were no different. He made no real conversation and stuck to simple answers. The only questions he had for them were work related like "does that look okay?" and "are you feeling alright?". Men, however, he seemed completely comfortable with. Sharrkan hadn't an idea why- Spartos was gay. As in, 100% into cock and 0% vagina. Sharrkan snorted as the girl attempted flirting with Spartos, making his boyfriend flush and come up with some excuse not to go.

He turned to his own station, getting his pen and inks out. Propping his leg up on the stool in front of him, he turned it on and prepared to go.

\-----------------

Sharrkan hissed slightly as he rubbed his cold hands together, breathing into them.

"I told you to wear gloves." Spartos said smartly as he walked beside him.

"Shut up. You should've forced them on me. You know I won't do anything you just say."

"You would if I told you to suck me off."

Sharrkan couldn't help but snort at that, and then choke on it because that was /not/ expected of Spartos- at all. "Where the hell did that come from?"

Spartos shrugged. "It's only true."

"That is true." Sharrkan grinned. "So, now or-?"

"It was just an example, Sharrkan. Not an offer."

"Should be-" Sharrkan muttered.

Spartos rolled his eyes and opened the door to the cafe they were walking to. Every Friday their group, namely everyone that worked at the tattoo place, hung out at this cafe. Since the two shifts didn't see each other much but for two minutes as they switched out, this was a pleasant time for them.

The two meandered their way to the back corner, where everyone else already was.

"Hey! The couple's here!" Sinbad exclaimed, raising a glass of probably alcohol.

"Sinbad, if you wanted to go for a drink, why don't we hang out at a bar?" Sharrkan asked as he slid into the booth, sandwiched between Ja'far and Spartos. He laid an arm across his lover's shoulders for comfortability.

"That's actually not a bad idea-" Sinbad said thoughtfully.

"Except Masrur and Pisti aren't old enough to get in." Spartos pointed out.

"And I don't think Hinahoho's and Drakon's wives would be very happy." Ja'far included, to which the new men nodded gratefully.

"So I'm forced to bring my own alcohol." Sinbad whined, slumping over on Ja'far.

The others shook their heads at his antics, before Spartos lightly touched Sharrkan's arm. "I'm going to get coffee. You want your usual?" He asked.

"Yes, please." He grinned, pressing a kiss to his cheek before the redhead left. He watched him walk away- shamelessly watching that beautiful ass- until he was bumped. "Wha-?"

"When's the wedding?" Hinahoho grinned around his cup.

Sharrkan nearly choked on his own saliva. "What? What wedding? We're not-"

"It's a joke, Sharrkan." Pisti leaned over the table to poke him. "But seriously, you have been dating for two whole years."

"Plus you dated in high school." Yamuraiha included.

"We weren't /technically/ dating." He retorted.

"Oh, right. You were just fuck buddies, my mistake."

He about punched her right there- girl or not. "He was /not/ just a 'fuck buddy' either." He practically hissed.

Ja'far rested a hand on his arm to try and settle him. "The point is, you're clearly meant to be by now."

"If he can put up with you for this long, it's a safe bet that he'll stay with you forever~" Sinbad smirked.

"Hey, what is that-" He shook his head. "I don't know. I haven't thought about it."

Okay, that was a lie. Lately, Sharrkan would stay up late at night, listening to Spartos' even breathing, and wondering these same questions. But he couldn't imagine his father being too happy about his son marrying another man. Sharrkan had met Darius a few times, and he was cold, calculating, and overall just scary. Nothing at all like his son, who was just a little cinnamon roll. His father had been less than happy about their tattoos and piercings, and had actually hit Spartos. That was the last time they'd seen him, and Sharrkan didn't know if Spartos would ever like to go back. They never spoke about that experience.

"I just, don't know, okay?" He waved them off.

"Well, think about it this way- your relationship can end up two ways; in marriage, or broken up." Ja'far said.

"Or death." Yamuraiha said into her tea, earning a horrified expression from Sharrkan.

"Shut up- no one's going to die." Pisti retorted, giving her a light punch.

"It's just something to think about." Ja'far turned back to Sharrkan.

"What is?" Spartos asked as he returned, two cups of coffee in his hands.

"Nothing." Sharrkan waved it off, taking his coffee and wrapping his arm around Spartos again. He spared a glance at the wedding rings on Hinahoho's and Drakon's finger and found himself wondering.

\-----------------

"So, if one were to propose, how do you think he should do it?" Sharrkan asked, less than a week later as they sat around the parlor. It was lunch hour, and Spartos had left to get food from Subway.

"Are you going to!?" Pisti practically squealed.

Sinbad stuck his head in the doorway from the office where he was probably making out with Ja'far. "Did I hear what I think I just heard?"

"It's just a question!" Sharrkan exclaimed, wiping furiously at his desk.

"Are you going to?" They asked again, now forming a sort of circle around him, even Yamuraiha.

Sharrkan sighed. "Fine, yes. Okay? You convinced me. I.. I'm going to propose to Spartos." He said, an uncharacteristic blush creeping on his face. Saying it out loud made it more real, and it made him feel.. nervous, yet excited.

Pisti did squeal this time, and Sinbad clapped him on the back. "Congratulations~"

"He hasn't said yes yet. I haven't even /asked/ yet." Sharrkan sighed. "I don't know how. I want it to be special.. but I don't want to embarrass him either."

"Get a tattoo to show it." Pisti suggested and Sharrkan sent her a look.

"There are a million and one TV shows on why you should /not/ do that." He deadpanned. "Not to mention cheesy as fuck."

"Well, what if you made him a nice dinner and asked him between dinner and dessert? That's romantic." Yamuraiha suggested.

"Or have the ring in the dessert- that'd be cute." Sinbad added.

"Okay, except I can't cook for shit. And going to a restaurant is expensive and cliche."

"Well okay then, Mr. Picky." Pisti muttered.

"I'm sorry. I just.. I can't afford to screw up. He kinda, lost his family because of me." He fiddled with his fingers.

"Well, hey, you love him, right?" Ja'far asked.

Sharrkan blinked. "Well, yeah. Duh." He blinked.

"And we have no doubts that he loves you just as much, if not more. So don't worry too much, okay?"

"Hey, I have an idea." Sinbad put in, raising a finger.

"I am not putting the ring on my dick and asking for a blowjob."

\-----------------

"Why are we going back to the shop, Sharrkan?" Spartos inquired as he was dragged behind said boyfriend.

"I told you. I forgot something."

"Yeah, and what exactly did you forget?"

"Something important. Now just shut up and come with me." He grabbed his arm and continued pulling him along, ignoring the insistent beating of his heart.

Spartos squinted his eyes suspiciously at him, but silently complied. They stepped into the shop, sounding a little bell that made everyone look up. He squinted his eyes even more at the sight of Pisti and Yamuraiha in the back. Every one of their friends was there, even though half of them were on the clock. That in itself was suspicious. Not only that, but the place seemed.. brighter, somehow. As he looked around, he supposed it was due to the candles around the front desk, that were usually not there. The sound of a piercing gun snapped him back to reality, and he looked to Sharrkan.

"So.. what did you forget then?" He asked again, motioning to the shop.

"Wait here." Sharrkan said simply before disappearing with the two girls to the back.

Spartos looked as exasperated as he felt. He knew Sharrkan liked to play pranks and all, but this was a bit much. He looked around at his friends; Ja'far, who was cleaning his station; Drakon, who was finishing up a set of ear piercings; Hinahoho, who was doing his own tattoo; Masrur, who was looking through a catalog; and Sinbad, who was grinning like a madman, at him. Spartos raised his arms slightly. "Do you all know what's going on?" There was a chorus of 'no's, or shakes of their head. And Spartos inwardly groaned. "Is this one of his pranks? Because I swear-"

"Spartos." Pisti interrupted. She skipped towards him and sat him down in a seat normally used for those getting piercings. "Sit here for a second, okay?"

Spartos blinked, utterly confused now. "What-"

But she was gone before he could finish his question. He looked to the others again, only to realize they all seemed to turn their backs to him, literally. He felt like yelling in frustration. First Sharrkan had been acting suspiciously at the apartment, saying they needed to go back to the shop because he'd forgotten something. But Spartos had known him long enough to tell when he was lying. That, and Sharrkan was /blushing/, and sweating. It was enough to make the redhead feel unsettled, but this was downright ridiculous.

Then he wondered if maybe something was wrong. Something he couldn't -and evidently wouldn't- talk to Spartos about. He frowned as he worried the frayed ends of his sweater sleeve, clicking the ball of his tongue piercing against his teeth. His lip piercing stuck out when he did, making it visible for him to see in his peripheral vision. He smiled lightly, thinking how ironic it was that his labret and Sharrkan's snakebites made it perfect, so whenever they kissed they wouldn't get all tangled up. He wondered if Sharrkan had done that on purpose, since Spartos had gotten his first.

Then his father and brother had jumped into his thoughts, and his frown returned. He knew his father wouldn't be happy if he knew he was sleeping with another man. Hell, he might've already known. Spartos wouldn't know. It'd been over a year since he'd last talked to or seen him. And he had to wonder if his brother would be happy for him. Mystras had died when Spartos was still in middle school, so he never knew of his younger brother's preference for the male gender. He'd like to think that his brother would approve, or at least accept it- and Sharrkan. But, he'd never know. He was just glad he had his friends there to help him through it all- including Sharrkan.

He about jumped out of his skin when Sharrkan suddenly popped up. He had a smile on his face, albeit a slightly shaky one. A glance around the shop told Spartos that everyone was looking at him and Sharrkan now. He sighed and looked back to him. "Will you please tell me what's going on?" He asked, frowning again.

Sharrkan held up a finger. "Just a second." He grabbed Spartos' hands and pulled him up onto his feet, still smiling at him. "I've got something for you first."

Pisti ran up to them with a box one could fit a toaster oven in. Spartos blinked, arching a brow at Sharrkan. "It's not my birthday for another two months."

"I know that. Just, open it, will you?"

Spartos squinted at him before sitting down again, peeling off the tape to open the flaps- only to realize it was another box. He sighed through his nostrils as he got out the second box, and opened that one as well. That box contained, yet another box. "Sharrkan, I swear-"

"Just, hush up and keep going." Sharrkan urged.

By now, Sinbad was recording whatever this was none-too-subtly. Spartos sighed, again, and continued the cycle for a few more boxes. With every box left opened and abandoned, Spartos felt his patience wearing thin. He should've expected this to be another prank. He half-expected the ending result to be a pear of scissors or something useful in this whole ordeal. That is, until he was left with a tiny cardboard box. Just before he opened it though, Sharrkan plucked it out of his hand. and knelt down before him.

"What, are you doing?" Spartos asked, beginning to feel like a broken record.

Sharrkan didn't say anything this time, and only peeled off the tape on this last box, taking out whatever was inside it. Spartos had to squint to see it correctly, held tight in Sharrkan's grip. With a deep sigh, Sharrkan opened it- revealing a rose-gold band with a braided design around it. The revelation, and the sudden realization sank in, and Spartos sat back in his seat, hands covering his burning face. This wasn't real. This wasn't happening. He was not sitting in this tattoo shop, where his whole life was. And his boyfriend was not proposing to him.

Only, he was.

"Spartos, I-"

"Yes."

"Wha- I didn't even ask yet!"

"I don't care." Spartos slid out of his seat to hug him tightly, on the verge of tears at his point. "You don't have to give the whole speech thing. I know you like to trip on your words when you're nervous."

That earned a strained laugh and a sigh of relief from Sharrkan. "Okay, but can I at least ask the question?"

Spartos laughed lightly and nodded. "Sorry, go ahead."

Sharrkan nodded once and scooted back a little so he was still kneeling on one knee before him, holding his hand with one hand while the other still held the ring. "Spartos Leoxses," He grinned slightly, pausing for dramatic effect. "Will you marry me?"

Spartos was already nodding, and Sharrkan couldn't help but lean forward to kiss him excitedly. Their friends around them burst into applause, and shouts of congratulations. Normally, this would've flustered Spartos. But right now he didn't care. There was just him and Sharrkan, their pierced lips pressed together and their decorative arms entwined together. Plus, the new, slightly cold ring on Spartos' ring finger.


End file.
